X c concrete-mixing machine



R. IVI. CRAIG.

CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I3, IQIII` Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESS:

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

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Specvication of Letters Patent.

Patented Non., ltd, initd..

Application ated. November t3, 19in. Serial No. ttatft.

To ZZ ff/tom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, ROBERT M. CRAIG., a citizen of the United States, residing at Faterson, in the count of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful limprovements in Concrete-Mixing Machines.. of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention consist-s in a novel combination of elements, including a rotary part rotating on a horizontal aXis (as the drum of a concrete mixing machine) and a part to be actuated (as cl-osure means for the outlet of such drum or a signal device for a concrete mixing machine), whereby actuation V will be transmitted automatically from said rotary part to the part to be actuated, the object being to effect the desired actuation when the rotary part has performed a predetermined number of revolutions.

ln the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of the machine; v

Figs. 2 and 3 end views thereof, the delivery spout being omitted and `the superstructure broken away in Fig. 3;

Figs. 4f, 5 and 6 illustrate details of a certain power transmitting means; and

Fig. .7 ,isa detail of the means for controlling the water supply.

0n rotary supports a journaled in a suitable frame i/ rest the circular treads c of a mixing chamber d in the form of a spheroidal drum open at both ends; one or more of the supports a may have teeth to mesh with teeth on the corresponding tread c and adord the means whereby to drive the drum from anyl suitable source, as a' small engine (not shown). There is a delivery spout f below the opening in a valve-frame g fixed to frame opposite the (delivery) opening in one end of the drum, and this valve-frame has mount ed therein any suitable gate or valve, that shown consisting of .a pair of wings h geared together, 'as at i, the former having a weighted handle and a. level' 7c projecting in different directions; gravity holds the wings in the closed position, but a slight displacement of the wings toward the Vopen position, as by movement of iever 7c to the right in Fig. 3. will shift element h-j past a perpendicular through its center of gravity so that said element will'swing over and move wing it with it, to open position.

Z is a chute or movable hopper pivoted at m in frame b, being provided with an opening m into which the solids to be mixed are shoveled and being adapted when uptilted to chute its contents into the (receiving) opening at the ieft end of the drum inFig. I. lt may be raised and lowered by any suitable means, n being a cable forming part of such means and extending over the .sheaves 0.4

lt is equipped witha transverse fixed bar p having cam-block g with an inclined face.

At the delivery end of the machine thereA is attached to the frame a gong r having a hammer s in the form of a lever against one arm of which beam a spring s normally pressing the other arm toward the gong.

The rotary structure which comprises drum d and its treads also includes a clip t secured to a central rib u which extends entirely around the drum, there being arranged in the clip a tappet bar o which is parallel with the aXis of the drum and may be adjust-ed longitudinally in the clip by manipulating a set-screw w (Fig. Lt).

Between the said rotary structure on the one hand and the gate (specifically, lever 7c) and hammer s on the other there is a power transn'iitting connection constituted as now to be described:

.fr is a rotary shaft having tired thereon a stanwheel y. lts left hand end portion is threaded, at e' (Fig. 5) and is supported by beveled blade or knife e attached to the frame Z); its right h-and end portion is journaled in a bearing e2 preferably pivot-ed in a bracket c3 on a horizontal airis trans verse to the shaft. This shaft may be shifted to the right until the star-wheel will be en gagedon each revolution of the drum by the tappet bar o, with the obvious result that the shaft will be fed by the engagement of knife e with its threading to the ieftuntil the star-wheel clears the tappet bar and so will no longer be rotated. @n the right hand end of the shaft is adjustably secured a dial 2 carrying a tappet 2. rllhe free end of the hammer e lies in the circular path of movement of this tappet, also in the circular path of lthe tappet is the free arm of a lever 3 pivoted to the frame and having its other arm underlying a projection 7c on the free end of the lever 7c, undue movement of lever 3 being prevented by a spring t and a stop 5 (Fig. A3). There is an elongated ratchet 6 secured on the shaft with which a pawl 'I pivoted to a portion lof the frame is engaged to revent backward rotation thereof.

t should be remarked that the drum is ica internally provided with some well-known means, as spiral blades, for urging the batchA toward the delivery outlet thereof.

Following the delivery of each batch the shaft m stands in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the star-wheel y clear of the tappet bar o. IVhen the solids havebeen s hoveled into the chute Z, which is then depressed, it is elevated by means of its cable and the inclined face of cam-block (f wiping against the end of the shaft .1f raises it clear of the knifepvliereupon the bar p pushes the shaft to the right to bring the star-wheel in the path of movement of the tappet bar on the drum which is being constantly rotated; meanwhile the chute is delivering its contents into the drum and when this is accomplished it is returned to its depressed position, so that the .knife or blade a" again engages the threads of the shaft. The shaft by the engagement of the tappet bar e with the star-wheel, now rotates step by step, to wit until by the engagement of the threads z with the knife the star-wheel has progressed far enough to the left to clear the tappet bar; but just before this occurs the tappet 2 first wipes over the free arm of the hammer s, which strikes the gong fr as soon as the tappet clears it,aiid then over the free endof lever 3, which 'thereby imparts a sufficient impulse to lever to ef 4 feet opening of the gate wings h h in a manner sufliciently explained before. The signal having been given and the batch being now delivered, the operator closes the gate by means of the handle j preparatoryv 'to recharging the drum by again elevating the chute, into which it will be understood a fresh charge of solid materials has been placed. It will be apparent that the time required for mixing may be varied by adjusting the dial and star-wheel longitudinally of the shaft, so that the opening of the gate and sounding of the alarm and the ensuing stopping of the shaft .1f may occur on the lapse of any desired period of time after the shaft begins to be rotated step by step by the drum. .The purpose of having the star-wheel clear the tappet bar 'u when the gong has been sounded and the gate opened 1s to insure the tappet 2 stopping always at substantially the same point in its cycle, thereby to insure the mixing periods being alll ofthe same length for a given quantity of materials to be mixed.

A-water tank 9 is arranged on the frame Z) above the drum and has an outlet 10 leading into the intake end of the drum. This outlet has a valve l1 which 'is suitably con- Lef/:Lese

nected to a lever l12 in turn suitably connected to the crank 13 on one end of a shaft 14 journaled in the frame and having at its other end a crank 15 which is connected with f one arm of ay bell-crank lever 16 by a pitman 17, the other arm of .said lever 15 being opposed by the end of a bar 18 which is guided in the fran'ie and normally pressed toward the chute end of the machine by a spring 19. When the chute rises it pushes the bar 18 endwise and so opens the valve. According as it takes more or less 'time to deliver the solid contents of the chute, depending on the quantity thereof, so more or less water will be delivered into the drum with the contents of the chute.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, a fixed' structure, actuating means arranged therein and ineluding a part rotating on a horizontal axis and having a tappet bar if arranged eccentri tally of and parallel with said axis, a part to be actuated, and means to transmit actuation from the tappet bar to the part to be actuated consisting of a screw device journaled parallel with said axis in, and having its threads engaged by a part of, said structure and on being rotated being thereby advaneeable longitudinally of its axis of rotation, said screw device being engageable and thereby adapted to be rotated by said tappet bar and also adapted during its longitudinal movement to engage and thereby actuate the part to be actuated.

2. In combination, a fixed structure, actuating means arranged therein and includ ing a part rotating on a horizontal axis and having a tappetr bar u arranged eccentrically of and parallel with said axis, a part to be actuated, means to transniit actuation from the tappet bar to the part to be actuated consisting of a screw device journaled parallel with said axis in. and having its threads engaged by a part of, said structure and on being rotated being thereby advance.- able longitudinally of its axis of rotation,

said screw device heilig engageable and ROBERT M. CRAIG. 

